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North Koreans set to compete in Olympics after new taekwondo deal signed

Tuesday, 26 August 2014

By Paul Osborne in the Main Media Centre in Nanjing

North Korea athletes are set to be able to compete in taekwondo at the Olympics for the first time after the sport's two rival international organisations signed an historic agreement here.

The South Korean-based World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) is currently the only governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

That excludes athletes from the North Korea-led International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) competing in the Games.

But a groundbreaking new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the WTF and ITF could end their exile, however, with athletes registered to either of the two organisations able to compete in one another's competition, including the Olympics.

It means competitors currently registered with the ITF could compete at the Olympic Games if they compete in WTF-sanctioned events under their rules and regulations.

The MoU was signed here between WTF and ITF Presidents Chungwon Choue and Ung Chang during the second edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games.

The signing ceremony between the two took place in the presence of IOC President Thomas Bach.

Chang is the IOC member representing North Korea.

"We are delighted to have signed this agreement with the ITF," said Choue.

"We are always looking at ways to develop and evolve taekwondo for the benefit of athletes and fans and opening up our relationship with the ITF is a key way of doing this.

"It is appropriate that this agreement has been signed here in Nanjing as the emphasis of the Youth Olympic Games is not just on sporting competition, but also on education and cultural understanding and that is part of what we are trying to achieve through this agreement.

"With this agreement, the WTF will do its upmost to ensure that every taekwondo athlete has the opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games."

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Fact of the day

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was disqualified for weighing in at nearly four pounds above the limit for his weight class of his under-66 kilograms match against an Israeli opponent Ehud Vaks in the first round. It was claimed Miresmaeili had gone on an eating binge to protest the International Olympic Committee's recognition of the state of Israel. Iran does not recognise the state of Israel, and Miresmaeili's actions won praise from high-ranking Iranian officials. Mohammad Khatami, the country's President at the time, was quoted as saying Miresmaili's actions would be "recorded in the history of Iranian glories". He was later awarded $125,000 by the Government - the same amount given to Olympic gold medallists.

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